Write Well With Others: Importance of Critique Groups

Recently I had the amazing pleasure of going to my very first writer's conference. It was a national conference that met in Texas the last weekend of September. I went not knowing what to expect, but full of hope and excitement. One of the top things on my conference wish list was to not only network with other writers, published and unpublished, but to find a few with whom to form a critique group. There are four of us in the group at present, and we are the Cannot Stop Writers!

I felt this way prior to being a part of this group, but I feel it so much moreso now-- if you are serious about writing, you really need to be a part of a critique group. It is infinitely encouraging for a fellow writer to look at a scene you've written and say, "I love this line!" And infinitely helpful when a crit partner says, "I'm confused about this paragraph." Or, "Insert his emotion and thoughts here. I need to know more what he's thinking." (Something I hear a fair amount of these days, though I do believe that even in the last few months I've made improvement. I used to see that comment five or six times a page. Now I'm down to two or three... So I'm getting there.)

It also keeps you writing. You know that every 10 or 12 days, you're up for a submission! Every few days, you've got someone's chapter to critique! You've got to stay on the ball. Stay focused. Stay in the writing mode.

And when you finally are ready for that first submission, you know you've got several pairs of eyes to bounce your proposal off of, to give you feedback on what works, what's weak or unclear, etc. Can't beat that!

I love my readers-- and I have several. My sister is by far the most devoted one-- she's enthusiastic and has been with me since the beginning of my writing journey-- but I have several friends who also read for me. This is an incredible gift for them to give. The feedback they give me helps shape the scene, helps me know what doesn't flow-- there are a couple of people who are great at picking out small typos. (Yes, Monique and Stephen-- that's you two!) That might not seem like anything to stop traffic for, but it's a huge service! Also, because I'm writing from the hero's POV, I believe it's essential for me to have a guy reading for me. :)

A critique group takes this to a new level. It gives you feedback from someone else in the industry, someone who strives for better craft themselves. That, to me, is something no aspiring writer should be without!